One of the biggest challenges of running your own business from home is maintaining the passion and commitment that got you started in the first place. Having put so much energy into setting up your online venture, it’s easy to find yourself experiencing a “what now?” moment, especially if the results aren’t instantly visible. Whilst building a steady customer base takes time, there are some steps you can take to ensure that your ecommerce start-up is ready to hit the ground running, giving you and your site that extra push towards success.
Be user-friendly
A user-friendly shopping experience can make or break an ecommerce business, and it is therefore crucial to ensure that buying products on your site is as easy and fuss-free as possible. Think about all the things that put you off going through with a purchase – such as too many details to fill out, or having to click through an endless number of screens – and eliminate these from your site. Setting up auto-complete is a good way to simplify the form-filling process, and it’s also essential to provide several different ways for customers to pay, including common options such as PayPal. The less hurdles your customers have to jump through, the more likely they are to buy from your site.
Incentivize
Making money from your ecommerce site is important, but winning over new custom is absolutely vital for any fledgling business. Offering free shipping to new customers not only acts as a great incentive, but also gives you a competitive edge; you could also offer a limited-time-only discount to celebrate the launch of your site. As well as encouraging visitors to make a purchase, offers and discounts provide engaging content for social media, helping to get your ecommerce site seen.
Take safety seriously
Security within the cyber world is a major concern for customers, so demonstrating that your site is safe is one of the best ways to distinguish yourself as a trustworthy business. The best web hosting solutions come with built-in security measures, such as 1&1, who provide enhanced SSL protection with a firewall which helps to protect against external attacks. In addition, you can also help customers to protect themselves by setting minimum password requirements, such as length and a variety of characters, which encourages customers to create more secure user accounts. Ecommerce companies that can be seen to take sensitive information seriously will certainly be favored over those who appear less vigilant.
Listen and learn
Last but not least, one of the most effective tools for winning new customers is, in actual fact, your current customers. Be sure to gather reviews and testimonials at every opportunity, and use them to your advantage. Most people these days are looking for a recommendation, so displaying positive feedback on your site provides an instant testament to the quality of your service. What’s more, any less-than-glowing feedback provides an opportunity to hear what your customers want and to make any necessary adjustments, allowing you to continuously improve your site and ultimately win more business.
